2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Perhaps as a consequence of their stature in the northern Rhône, Guigal's consistently excellent bottlings from the south don't get the attention that they deserve. The Châteauneuf-du-Pape, which is sourced as pre-malo juice from as many as 50 different producers, is made in a steadfastly traditional fashion, with three weeks of maceration in tanks followed by three years of aging in large oak foudres before bottling. In many vintages, the Guigals then opt to hold the wine for a period of time, even a couple of years, before releasing it. The Guigal Châteauneuf represents excellent value, and while is tends to be pretty delicious on release (no doubt due to the extended barrel-aging), it has also proven that it can age gracefully.